WEBVTT - 490 Praying Through Psalms 67: Reconnecting to the True Vine!

0:00:02.680 --> 0:00:03.600
<v Speaker 1>Life Audio.

0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:07.840
<v Speaker 2>Hey there, and welcome to another prayer through the Psalms

0:00:07.880 --> 0:00:12.040
<v Speaker 2>episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast. I'm Jamie, and

0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:13.240
<v Speaker 2>I'm very.

0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:14.840
<v Speaker 1>Very excited to be with you.

0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:16.640
<v Speaker 2>You may not know it, but it's been a while

0:00:16.760 --> 0:00:19.520
<v Speaker 2>since I've recorded a psalm. I did a few kind

0:00:19.520 --> 0:00:21.040
<v Speaker 2>of in a batch because I knew I was going

0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:25.080
<v Speaker 2>to be busy and away from the computer, and I'm

0:00:25.160 --> 0:00:29.280
<v Speaker 2>so happy to be back. I love this time with you.

0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:35.480
<v Speaker 2>It is sacred and special and set apart and makes

0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:39.000
<v Speaker 2>me slow down and I'm going to be fully transparent

0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:41.279
<v Speaker 2>with you. I'm not always happy about it. There are

0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:43.879
<v Speaker 2>times when I know I have psalms to record and

0:00:43.960 --> 0:00:46.720
<v Speaker 2>I think, oh my goodness, that's going to take a lot.

0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:52.000
<v Speaker 2>Because it does. It sounds counterintuitive, but as a fellow human,

0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:54.960
<v Speaker 2>you know, it takes energy to slow down.

0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:58.080
<v Speaker 1>It takes effort to.

0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:02.240
<v Speaker 2>Stop the grind, to take a step off the treadmill

0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:06.360
<v Speaker 2>of life and meditate on God's word. And I'm going

0:01:06.440 --> 0:01:10.679
<v Speaker 2>to also confess that I haven't been meditating outside of

0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:14.839
<v Speaker 2>these psalms in the last few weeks on God's word

0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:15.560
<v Speaker 2>like I should be.

0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:20.280
<v Speaker 1>And it takes a toll. It steals energy.

0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:27.160
<v Speaker 2>From us to give constantly to the demands of busyness,

0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:31.119
<v Speaker 2>to pour ourselves into tasks and to do lists, and

0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:33.399
<v Speaker 2>there's a time for them. A lot of it is

0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:36.199
<v Speaker 2>just stuff that has to be done. But I believe

0:01:36.240 --> 0:01:39.280
<v Speaker 2>that's why God created the Sabbath, and he knew that

0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:43.400
<v Speaker 2>there is absolutely a time when we need to slow down.

0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:45.399
<v Speaker 1>And not to mention.

0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:50.320
<v Speaker 2>When we become disconnected from the vine, we start to wither.

0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:54.320
<v Speaker 2>I see that in my one hundred degree Utah weather

0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:58.280
<v Speaker 2>the last week. Is there was a section in our

0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:01.720
<v Speaker 2>grape vine and they've been getting watered vine, but there

0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:03.680
<v Speaker 2>was a section that I guess the wind had kind

0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:05.520
<v Speaker 2>of blown off, and I.

0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:06.760
<v Speaker 1>Couldn't tell it first.

0:02:06.960 --> 0:02:09.160
<v Speaker 2>At first I went out there, and you know, everything

0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:12.160
<v Speaker 2>looked great. And then a few days later I look

0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:16.079
<v Speaker 2>and there's this whole like withered section, and I thought, oh,

0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:18.360
<v Speaker 2>my goodness, there must be like a pest or an

0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.880
<v Speaker 2>infestation of something, or a blight or I don't know.

0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:24.440
<v Speaker 2>I don't know what affects grapes. I'm new to grape vines.

0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:28.640
<v Speaker 2>And it was just that the wind had there'd been

0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:31.120
<v Speaker 2>a vine that had been like growing kind of out

0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.880
<v Speaker 2>from the others and just one section, but that part

0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:38.160
<v Speaker 2>of the vine had gotten blown by the wind, I.

0:02:38.080 --> 0:02:39.880
<v Speaker 1>Guess, and snapped.

0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:42.280
<v Speaker 2>It had kind of like it still was attached, but

0:02:42.320 --> 0:02:47.279
<v Speaker 2>it was crimped, and so basically it was effectively detached,

0:02:47.440 --> 0:02:50.960
<v Speaker 2>not physically, but for all intents and purposes from the

0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:55.480
<v Speaker 2>actual vine, which, if you know anything about grapes, the

0:02:55.600 --> 0:03:00.919
<v Speaker 2>vine itself is this big, gnarly like brown tree, trunky

0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:04.360
<v Speaker 2>kind of material, and then every year you cut it

0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:06.800
<v Speaker 2>back so it looks dead. I was terrified the first

0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:09.520
<v Speaker 2>time I did it two years ago, and it looks

0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:12.880
<v Speaker 2>like it's all dead. But then in the spring at

0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:15.480
<v Speaker 2>late spring, because I was scared for a while, but

0:03:15.680 --> 0:03:19.240
<v Speaker 2>late spring you start to see these leaves emerge, and

0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:22.440
<v Speaker 2>then you get these gigantic like tons of vines. It's

0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:26.240
<v Speaker 2>crazy how much it produces every year. And all that

0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:30.560
<v Speaker 2>to say that this one huge section of vine had

0:03:30.600 --> 0:03:33.680
<v Speaker 2>been like new growth, had basically been cut off from

0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:36.960
<v Speaker 2>the main vine because of being crimped over from the wind.

0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:39.720
<v Speaker 1>So this entire section was just.

0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:45.680
<v Speaker 2>Withered and gnarly and just crunchy crispy from totally dying.

0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:48.040
<v Speaker 1>And that's us.

0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:51.440
<v Speaker 2>It doesn't happen immediately, we might not even notice it.

0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.360
<v Speaker 2>And for us, it's not necessarily days. I think it

0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:59.560
<v Speaker 2>can be weeks and months and years of being sort

0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:03.480
<v Speaker 2>of subtle crimped off from God, from the true vine.

0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:09.119
<v Speaker 2>But it takes its toll, and I think from my experience,

0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:13.240
<v Speaker 2>the enemy gets a foothold, and it actually when you

0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:16.760
<v Speaker 2>get in a routine of business, it makes slowing down

0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:22.839
<v Speaker 2>seem undesirable, and it makes the act of being in

0:04:22.920 --> 0:04:27.720
<v Speaker 2>God's word feel boring in contrast. And I know that

0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:31.200
<v Speaker 2>sounds harsh and terrible and sinful, and it is, but

0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:34.280
<v Speaker 2>it's just what has happened to me at times. And

0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:37.080
<v Speaker 2>so it took some effort to get me in front

0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:40.520
<v Speaker 2>of this computer because I do have so much going

0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:43.080
<v Speaker 2>on right now, and I'm sure all of you do too.

0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:46.960
<v Speaker 2>But I really hope that you're able to just take

0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:50.080
<v Speaker 2>some time each week, whether it's this podcast, whether it's

0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:53.839
<v Speaker 2>another podcast, whether it's just sitting quietly with God with

0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:57.440
<v Speaker 2>your own devotion, whatever it is, I hope you will

0:04:57.480 --> 0:05:00.000
<v Speaker 2>take time. So I had the pressure of showing up

0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:03.720
<v Speaker 2>for you, but without that external pressure, I honestly could

0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:08.839
<v Speaker 2>see myself going weeks or months without truly slowing down

0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:12.719
<v Speaker 2>and taking time with God. And so let this just

0:05:12.760 --> 0:05:15.880
<v Speaker 2>be the reminder a. If this is how you feel,

0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:18.400
<v Speaker 2>I'm just being real about it, because if you resonate

0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:20.440
<v Speaker 2>with this truth, it's okay.

0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:22.039
<v Speaker 1>Embrace it and take.

0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:24.000
<v Speaker 2>It to God and say God, I kind of feel

0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:26.400
<v Speaker 2>like reading your word is become a little bit boring.

0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:27.000
<v Speaker 1>Help me.

0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:29.680
<v Speaker 2>And I guarantee when you get to the place where

0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.159
<v Speaker 2>you sit down and you actually read it, it will

0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:33.000
<v Speaker 2>come alive again.

0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:34.839
<v Speaker 1>God will speak to you through it.

0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:38.200
<v Speaker 2>It will stoke those fires, those embers that have kind

0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:41.880
<v Speaker 2>of gone cold, and God will breed life into your

0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:45.400
<v Speaker 2>Bible reading, into your time with Him. So I didn't

0:05:45.400 --> 0:05:47.080
<v Speaker 2>mean to go off on that tangent, but the Lord

0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:49.800
<v Speaker 2>must have had something for you just through what I've

0:05:49.839 --> 0:05:53.280
<v Speaker 2>been experiencing and going through. So today we are going

0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:57.080
<v Speaker 2>to be talking about and praying through Psalm sixty seven.

0:05:57.720 --> 0:05:59.880
<v Speaker 1>Do I hear the parents of.

0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:06.279
<v Speaker 2>Young ish maybetween early teen children collectively sighing.

0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:09.200
<v Speaker 1>With you know, six seven.

0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:12.000
<v Speaker 2>I know that we've passed that, but I can't hear

0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:16.200
<v Speaker 2>six and seven anymore without the six seven kind of

0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:18.680
<v Speaker 2>echoing in my mind. So if that's you, get it

0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:21.640
<v Speaker 2>out of your system, do the little hand motion, whatever

0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:22.159
<v Speaker 2>you got to do.

0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:23.760
<v Speaker 1>Psalm sixty seven.

0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:33.160
<v Speaker 2>We're in it, and now we can focus.

0:06:39.240 --> 0:06:39.839
<v Speaker 1>Let's pray.

0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:46.599
<v Speaker 2>God, we just thank you for giving us your word.

0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:51.760
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for the relationship that you extend to each

0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:54.400
<v Speaker 2>one of us. I know that I take it for

0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:59.640
<v Speaker 2>granted all the time, and I'm sorry. Thank you for

0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:02.320
<v Speaker 2>taking us back with open arms when we take time

0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:05.359
<v Speaker 2>away from spending time with you and reading your word

0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:12.360
<v Speaker 2>and praying. I know there's a time for surface prayers,

0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:15.520
<v Speaker 2>for the shout out prayers when we need you desperately,

0:07:15.720 --> 0:07:20.000
<v Speaker 2>and the on the go prayers, but there's also definitely

0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:27.320
<v Speaker 2>time for deep, meditative, contemplative prayer with you. And there's

0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:31.440
<v Speaker 2>always time for reading your word and spending time slowing

0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:37.080
<v Speaker 2>our brains down, giving us enough white space to hear back.

0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:44.000
<v Speaker 2>Teach us how to do that better. Lord, I just

0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:48.600
<v Speaker 2>pray for the body of Christ in this incredible, amazing

0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:54.360
<v Speaker 2>and also terrible age of technology. Help us navigate it

0:07:54.400 --> 0:08:00.640
<v Speaker 2>with grace, protect us from lasting damage. I look at

0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:03.200
<v Speaker 2>our children and the next generations that come after us,

0:08:03.240 --> 0:08:06.960
<v Speaker 2>and I'm burdened and scared. Frankly, I see what it's

0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:09.320
<v Speaker 2>done to me, and I know what it must be

0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:15.040
<v Speaker 2>doing to them. And we just pray God that in

0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.800
<v Speaker 2>your mercy you would protect the body of Christ, protect

0:08:18.800 --> 0:08:22.200
<v Speaker 2>our sons and daughters and grandchildren and great grandchildren and

0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:27.360
<v Speaker 2>generations to come, until Christ returns from growing cold and

0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:33.000
<v Speaker 2>distant because of technology, from growing isolated and shut off

0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:38.199
<v Speaker 2>and self sufficient or seemingly self sufficient because of technology

0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:43.000
<v Speaker 2>and the fast pace of the world around us, and

0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:47.720
<v Speaker 2>the busyness that seems to have talents just gripping us

0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:51.560
<v Speaker 2>and won't let go. The busyness that can be an

0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:56.240
<v Speaker 2>idol that we can wear like a badge of honor,

0:08:58.280 --> 0:09:01.960
<v Speaker 2>and we could trade because of what it gives us.

0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:05.600
<v Speaker 2>For a relationship with you that takes a little bit

0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.400
<v Speaker 2>of work and that takes time and takes patience and

0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:13.120
<v Speaker 2>slowing down, that doesn't give us instant gratification, but is

0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:17.760
<v Speaker 2>so much greater and more gratifying and satisfying than anything

0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:22.680
<v Speaker 2>this world could offer. Take the blinders off, in Jesus' name,

0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:25.840
<v Speaker 2>Take them off of ourselves, Take them off of our children,

0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:31.280
<v Speaker 2>our grandchildren, generations to come. Help your people to see clearly,

0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:35.880
<v Speaker 2>to be wise in how we use technology and how

0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:39.520
<v Speaker 2>we allow ourselves to be sucked into the world. Let

0:09:39.559 --> 0:09:41.480
<v Speaker 2>us be in the world, but not of the world

0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:44.680
<v Speaker 2>and to know how to do that. It's hard, it's

0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:55.200
<v Speaker 2>not easy, it's not straightforward. In Jesus' name, Amen, all right, Well,

0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:59.920
<v Speaker 2>this is Psalm sixty seven the Nations exhorted to pray

0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:04.320
<v Speaker 2>God for the choir director with stringed instruments, a psalm

0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:07.480
<v Speaker 2>a song. And I have read that this is often

0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:10.280
<v Speaker 2>attributed to David, even though it doesn't explicitly say so.

0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:13.960
<v Speaker 2>Maybe it follows in some of his wording. I don't

0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:16.080
<v Speaker 2>know who came to that conclusion and why, but that's

0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:20.480
<v Speaker 2>what I read. This is a very short psalm, and

0:10:20.559 --> 0:10:23.160
<v Speaker 2>it kind of touches on what I said in my prayer.

0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:27.120
<v Speaker 2>It touches on God being a god not of a

0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:32.080
<v Speaker 2>select view, but of everyone on earth. And that went

0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:36.040
<v Speaker 2>in kind of flew in the face of the ancient

0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:41.200
<v Speaker 2>world at that time, the worldview in that time that

0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:44.480
<v Speaker 2>this was written, it was kind of thought that the

0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:48.840
<v Speaker 2>gods were regional, that the people's gods were gods of them,

0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.760
<v Speaker 2>and the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the

0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:54.720
<v Speaker 2>god of Israel. Those are the people he chose. And

0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:57.000
<v Speaker 2>a lot of these psalms of David, and I'm guessing

0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:59.840
<v Speaker 2>because he is prophetic and inspired by the Holy Spirit,

0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:04.720
<v Speaker 2>speak of a greater kingdom, and I love it. It's beautiful.

0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:09.200
<v Speaker 2>So the nations are exhorted to praise God. God be

0:11:09.280 --> 0:11:12.559
<v Speaker 2>gracious to us and bless us, and cause his face

0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:15.760
<v Speaker 2>to shine upon us. Selah, And I want to talk

0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:20.720
<v Speaker 2>about that real quick, because that is actually borrowed from

0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:23.960
<v Speaker 2>a previous passage in chapter six, verses twenty four to

0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:26.520
<v Speaker 2>twenty six says the Lord bless you and keep you.

0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:29.760
<v Speaker 2>The Lord make his face shine upon you, And it

0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:35.240
<v Speaker 2>intentionally adapts this blessing and takes it beyond Israel. God

0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:39.679
<v Speaker 2>be gracious to us collective, and bless us collectively, and

0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:43.000
<v Speaker 2>cause his face to shine upon us, that your way

0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:47.119
<v Speaker 2>may be known on the earth, your salvation among all nations.

0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:51.120
<v Speaker 2>Let the peoples praise you, Oh God, Let all the

0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:54.800
<v Speaker 2>peoples praise you. Let the nations and that word nations

0:11:54.960 --> 0:12:01.760
<v Speaker 2>can be translated as tribes, nations, ethnic groups. So the

0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:05.280
<v Speaker 2>Hebrew word is amim, and it means tribes, nations, and

0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:09.480
<v Speaker 2>ethnic groups, not just Israel, very clearly, not just Israel.

0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:12.360
<v Speaker 2>Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for

0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:15.880
<v Speaker 2>you will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the

0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:19.680
<v Speaker 2>nations on the earth. Selah, let the peoples praise you,

0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:23.319
<v Speaker 2>Oh God, Let all the peoples praise you. The earth

0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:28.439
<v Speaker 2>has yielded its produce. God, our God blesses us. God

0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:32.200
<v Speaker 2>blesses us that all the ends of the earth may

0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:35.880
<v Speaker 2>fear Him. And how beautiful is this. There's this whole

0:12:35.920 --> 0:12:38.839
<v Speaker 2>big picture of God blesses everyone. And then it goes

0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:44.080
<v Speaker 2>to in verse seven. God blesses us Israel, that all

0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.319
<v Speaker 2>the ends of the earth may fear Him, and not

0:12:47.480 --> 0:12:53.320
<v Speaker 2>fear like tremble in trepidation and turning away from but

0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:58.960
<v Speaker 2>fear revere like every nieshell bow, every tongue confess. So

0:12:59.200 --> 0:13:02.400
<v Speaker 2>our blessing is not just for us, but it will

0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:05.560
<v Speaker 2>be for all nations. And God promised that to Abraham too.

0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:08.400
<v Speaker 2>He said, you will be blessed, so that the world

0:13:08.440 --> 0:13:11.480
<v Speaker 2>may in turn be blessed. Some of that blessing is

0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:14.199
<v Speaker 2>through Jesus because he came through the line of Israel.

0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:20.040
<v Speaker 2>But I firmly believe that it is a universal not universalism,

0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:26.120
<v Speaker 2>but a universal blessing for all people. That Israel was

0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:31.000
<v Speaker 2>blessed because there were more people in the sphere of

0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:34.840
<v Speaker 2>Israel than just Israelites. There were people from all over

0:13:34.840 --> 0:13:37.640
<v Speaker 2>the place. That's why they had laws and rules about

0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:42.680
<v Speaker 2>how to treat foreigners, how to incorporate people in a

0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:47.080
<v Speaker 2>way that displayed the glory of God but did not

0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:50.400
<v Speaker 2>allow for people of Israel to be led astray to

0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:53.800
<v Speaker 2>other gods. But there were other people that were influenced

0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:57.240
<v Speaker 2>by Israel and that saw God's love for them, that

0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:02.920
<v Speaker 2>saw their hygiene that was, you know, basically better. And

0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:07.679
<v Speaker 2>it's not because they studied microbiology. It's because their laws

0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:10.960
<v Speaker 2>came from God's mouth and he's the creator of the

0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:14.280
<v Speaker 2>universe and this earth, and he knows how things work,

0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:20.840
<v Speaker 2>their circumcision on a certain day and the actual hematology

0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:24.080
<v Speaker 2>that means that that is the best day to do it.

0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:27.960
<v Speaker 2>There's all kinds of wisdom in the way that the

0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:31.280
<v Speaker 2>people of God, the people of Israel, were living that

0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:36.520
<v Speaker 2>was supernaturally given for their benefit and to display God's

0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:40.840
<v Speaker 2>trueness and realness and goodness to the people around them.

0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:47.560
<v Speaker 2>And that transfers to us as Christians. We are blessed,

0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:53.400
<v Speaker 2>not so we can stay in our self contained survival pod,

0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:58.000
<v Speaker 2>but so that we can bless others within the body

0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:01.200
<v Speaker 2>of Christ. And then so that we the body of

0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:04.080
<v Speaker 2>Christ can bless others outside of the Body of Christ.

0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:07.560
<v Speaker 2>And I'm going to tell you I have been doing

0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:11.840
<v Speaker 2>a bad job of this myself. It's been a struggle

0:15:12.360 --> 0:15:15.640
<v Speaker 2>to get plugged in to our church here in Utah.

0:15:15.760 --> 0:15:18.520
<v Speaker 2>We moved from Alaska a couple of years ago, and

0:15:18.600 --> 0:15:23.280
<v Speaker 2>it's been hard. It's been really tough circumstances, our schedules

0:15:24.160 --> 0:15:27.040
<v Speaker 2>have kind of been wagging the dog, and we've gotten

0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:29.320
<v Speaker 2>back into it to a certain point, but we haven't

0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:33.400
<v Speaker 2>gotten back to where I feel we are truly like

0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:37.560
<v Speaker 2>an integral part, like we're actually cogs in the body

0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:41.360
<v Speaker 2>of Christ in our local church. And you know, there

0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:43.720
<v Speaker 2>are seasons, and I don't know that this isn't just

0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:45.800
<v Speaker 2>a season, but there's part of me that feels like

0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:51.280
<v Speaker 2>it's time to really start to move back into that

0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.760
<v Speaker 2>because it's it's been too long that we've been kind

0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:57.520
<v Speaker 2>of outsiders looking in. And it doesn't mean we're not

0:15:57.560 --> 0:15:59.760
<v Speaker 2>part of the Body of Christ. I'm with you right now,

0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:04.120
<v Speaker 2>or the Body of Christ. We're praying. I have other

0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:06.640
<v Speaker 2>members of the Body that I'm friends with, that I

0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:09.400
<v Speaker 2>serve with, that I speak with, that we encourage each other.

0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:14.680
<v Speaker 2>But the local church is kind of the ground zero

0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:18.040
<v Speaker 2>of how the Body of Christ can bless the world.

0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:20.480
<v Speaker 2>And I love our church that we've become part of.

0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:24.280
<v Speaker 2>They do so much outreach and blessing of the community,

0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:28.960
<v Speaker 2>and not just our community, communities across the globe. They're

0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:33.080
<v Speaker 2>very missional, very servant minded. So I'm proud and excited

0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:35.360
<v Speaker 2>to be part of this Body of Christ. I'd like

0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:38.680
<v Speaker 2>to be a little more connected though. Anyway, this is

0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:42.680
<v Speaker 2>an episode of tangents, So I hope that.

0:16:42.640 --> 0:16:46.680
<v Speaker 1>God spoke to you through this. I hope that you'll go.

0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:51.600
<v Speaker 2>Back to some of these and glean your own things

0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:54.600
<v Speaker 2>from it. I really hope that you're not just relying

0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:59.000
<v Speaker 2>on my interpretation, because I've told you before, always check

0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:02.320
<v Speaker 2>me theological and every other way, because I'm not a

0:17:02.360 --> 0:17:06.440
<v Speaker 2>theologian and I'm imperfect. Read the word of God. Test

0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:10.320
<v Speaker 2>it against truth that you know. I'm sorry, Test what

0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:13.080
<v Speaker 2>I say against truth that you know based on the

0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:16.160
<v Speaker 2>word of God. Don't test the word of God against

0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:18.720
<v Speaker 2>things that you think you know. That's kind of backwards,

0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:23.080
<v Speaker 2>and just take that time. I think the boiled down

0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:26.720
<v Speaker 2>lesson for today for me is it's important to spend

0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:29.680
<v Speaker 2>time with God. It's important to slow down. It's important

0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:32.679
<v Speaker 2>to embrace his word, to meditate on it. And that

0:17:32.720 --> 0:17:35.560
<v Speaker 2>doesn't mean just playing through this episode one time. I

0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:38.680
<v Speaker 2>think it means going back, reading through yourself and saying, God,

0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:41.960
<v Speaker 2>what do you have for me in this not some commentary,

0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:43.639
<v Speaker 2>not some podcast host.

0:17:44.040 --> 0:17:45.080
<v Speaker 1>What do you have for me?

0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:47.240
<v Speaker 2>And do that not just with the stuff that we

0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:50.800
<v Speaker 2>do together, but with your own stuff. All right, thank

0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.600
<v Speaker 2>you for joining me, and I hope you have a

0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:58.360
<v Speaker 2>wonderful week. And let's close in some prayer. Father, thank

0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:01.240
<v Speaker 2>you again for this time. We just pray that you

0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.040
<v Speaker 2>would help us to come out of this time with

0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:08.639
<v Speaker 2>radiant faces after having come into your presence, that we

0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:12.920
<v Speaker 2>would have been transformed through this time, that people would

0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:15.000
<v Speaker 2>see us and would talk to us, and they would

0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:17.399
<v Speaker 2>know that we've been with you. We just asked that

0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:20.000
<v Speaker 2>you would continue to let these words ruminate in our

0:18:20.040 --> 0:18:23.000
<v Speaker 2>minds and in our hearts, that this wouldn't be it,

0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:26.000
<v Speaker 2>that it would just kind of stoke those embers that

0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:28.880
<v Speaker 2>have gotten cold. Help them to just heat up. Give

0:18:28.960 --> 0:18:31.439
<v Speaker 2>us a burning to meet with you, Give us a

0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:34.560
<v Speaker 2>burning for your word to understand it better, to gain

0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:39.280
<v Speaker 2>wisdom from it, to find hidden gems within the words.

0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:41.960
<v Speaker 2>Of the Bible that speak to us in a new

0:18:42.600 --> 0:18:49.600
<v Speaker 2>and true way. In Jesus' name, Amen, we'd like to

0:18:49.600 --> 0:18:51.520
<v Speaker 2>take just a quick second to thank the team at

0:18:51.520 --> 0:18:52.720
<v Speaker 2>Life Audio for their.

0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:54.320
<v Speaker 1>Partnership with us on the podcast.

0:18:54.840 --> 0:18:57.320
<v Speaker 2>If you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find

0:18:57.400 --> 0:19:00.440
<v Speaker 2>dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've

0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:04.320
<v Speaker 2>got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and so much more.

0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:10.080
<v Speaker 2>That's life audio dot com.